Start 8th grade at Pyle (or Westland) or wait and move for HS

[Anonymous]

Hi- We are planning on moving from DC to either Pyle/Whitman or Westland/BCC in part for the schools— though I know MCPS has its own problems. How would it be to start in 8th at Pyle or Westland? I was thinking that since Pyle just feeds to Whitman, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad to start in 8th for just a year. Or since Westland isn’t huge and feeds to BCC, maybe it also wouldn’t be so bad?

Our son stresses about change and is a little shy, but once he gets somewhere, he always does make friends. He has some executive function issues, and we are really not happy with his current school.

What do you think? Move for 8th? Wait until high school?

[Anonymous]

If he is your only kid, stay put and apply for private.

Unless you want him to be instate for Maryland colleges, which is a very valid reason to move.

The MCPS high schools really aren’t that much better than Wilson. I wish we had sent my kid to private instead.

[Anonymous]

I would start in 8th. That way they have more time to meet people and get familiar with MCPS systems before HS starts, and also they'll be on track to register for 9th grade classes with the rest of the 8th graders, which usually happens in December/January. They'll also be able to apply for any special HS programs around then.

[Anonymous]

My instinct would be sooner vs later too. There are SSL (volunteer) hour requirements which you satisfy for HS graduation but you can start accumulating them in MS.

On the other hand, there is something to be said for joining in 9th grade because BCC having two MS means half the kids are “new” to each other plus being new to the school.

[Anonymous]

I would move him now to Pyle. Since it's the only MS that feeds into Whitman it doesn't really make sense to wait. My DD went there and they are really great at helping new kids get acclimated.

or do BCC for HS and then he won't feel so new when the MS's come together.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would start in 8th. That way they have more time to meet people and get familiar with MCPS systems before HS starts, and also they'll be on track to register for 9th grade classes with the rest of the 8th graders, which usually happens in December/January. They'll also be able to apply for any special HS programs around then.

The registration is a good point— I assume they have some way to accommodate kids who show up out of cycle but some classes you may need teacher recommendations for etc. Plus I think they’ll do a visit to the HS for what that’s worth.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If he is your only kid, stay put and apply for private.

Unless you want him to be instate for Maryland colleges, which is a very valid reason to move.

The MCPS high schools really aren’t that much better than Wilson. I wish we had sent my kid to private instead.

Well except they really are better but you have to actually make some effort and do things like sign up for harder classes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would move him now to Pyle. Since it's the only MS that feeds into Whitman it doesn't really make sense to wait. My DD went there and they are really great at helping new kids get acclimated.

or do BCC for HS and then he won't feel so new when the MS's come together.

I'd go with BCC because it doesn't have the never-ending array of racially motivated hate incidents that seem to happen routinely at the more segregated schools.

[Anonymous]

If Pyle they have support for new families. I think you can get assigned a buddy family which is supposed to be very helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If Pyle they have support for new families. I think you can get assigned a buddy family which is supposed to be very helpful.[/quote

Westland will be more welcoming and is better run.

[Anonymous]

Pyle has had some issues recently. You can look them up in the news. The administration is struggling.

[Anonymous]

OP here -- these are super helpful points. Sometimes DC Urban Moms and Dads is really great.

What "some issues" at Pyle recently? Hate incidents?

DS is the first, but we have a younger daughter too, and in-state for Maryland colleges is a plus. I am not sure if we can get him to go to private any more, but that would be my first choice. He might be willing to apply for high school, but I don't know about a late application for next year for 8th.

[Anonymous]

I’ve always wondered how it is for students to be switching schools at mcps, because we’re contemplating an intra-MCPS move. I’m guessing that, because of all the different programs, maybe it shouldn’t be so difficult for new students to acclimate?

[Anonymous]

OP its going to make very little difference either way as both schools have a lot of kids joining and leaving each year

[Anonymous]

We considered both entry points and ended up doing 9th (at Whitman). It was really no problem to enter in 9th. While there are some classes that require teacher recs, that only applies coming from the middle school. Coming from outside the system, DC was able to pick his classes, including the ones requiring teacher recs (I think that was just AP Gov in 9th). There was a reasonable size group of new kids in 9th grade, and if there were middle school cliques those seemed to change as the kids got to high school and DC was able to make plenty of friends. Probably easier for boys than girls. Can't say how entering in 8th would have compared since we didn't do it.